Media: Iraq rebuffed Iran’s request to move cash for Hezbollah via border crossing

A senior Iraqi official has revealed that Baghdad rejected a late-August request from Iran to grant “extraordinary facilities” at a western border crossing for the transfer of large sums of cash to Lebanon’s Hezbollah through Syria, citing political and security risks.

The official, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, said Tehran had offered assurances that its networks in Syria could handle the rest of the transfer, Caliber.Az reports. 

“They told us, ‘We have people who can deliver it to Damascus. Iraqis should not worry about that,’” the official said.

Cross-border sources in Syria and Lebanon told the paper that Iranian efforts to funnel funds to Hezbollah have intensified in recent weeks, despite mounting US and Lebanese pressure on the group to disarm. Some shipments have reportedly made it through with the help of smuggling networks.

Regional security officials say Washington is closely tracking financial channels believed to have moved millions of dollars into Hezbollah’s coffers. Lebanese political figures note that the group, facing strains within its Shi’ite support base, is seeking fresh resources to shore up loyalty and rebuild its military strength.

US Senator Lindsey Graham told Lebanese lawmakers in August that Washington had intelligence indicating Hezbollah had received new injections of cash. He warned that the US was investigating how the transfers took place.

Iraqi Shi’ite political leaders said Iran, preparing for what it calls an inevitable confrontation with Israel, has instructed allied militias to find new ways of sustaining Hezbollah.

“It is a mistake to assume Iran will go into the next confrontation without deep, resilient defensive lines in the region, especially in Lebanon,” one said.

Another senior Shi’ite leader added that Tehran’s maneuvering space in Iraq is narrowing: “The room for maneuver in Baghdad is clearly shrinking.”

Iraqi security officials said the al-Qaim crossing, near Syria’s al-Bukamal, is under close US surveillance and considered too risky for covert financial transfers. The area has been described as a “drone playground” for US forces and others, making clandestine movements difficult.

While smuggling routes across the Iraq-Syria frontier remain active—controlled by Shi’ite groups, remnants of Assad’s forces, ISIS fighters, and other networks—Syrian officials insist no cash has passed through official border points.

Lebanese analysts believe Hezbollah’s recent tougher stance on disarmament reflects access to fresh funds. While public spending has largely focused on repairing homes in Beirut’s southern suburbs, many suggest the group is stockpiling cash ahead of another war.

The US Treasury has continued to announce new sanctions aimed at curbing Iranian financing, estimating in 2022 that Tehran supplied Hezbollah with up to $700 million annually. Hezbollah’s former leader Hassan Nasrallah openly stated in 2016 that Iran was the group’s primary source of funding.

Despite repeated Israeli strikes targeting financiers and couriers across Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon, regional sources say Tehran and Hezbollah are preserving alternative routes for money transfers. Lebanese security officials admit sealing the porous Syrian border is nearly impossible, with vast areas unmonitored and the Lebanese army under-resourced to halt illicit crossings.

By Sabina Mammadli